Inside Sales Assistant Resume & Guide

The Sales industry is vast, and there are many roles Inside Sales Assistants can play in the Sales environment. In short, Inside Sales Assistants help their clients choose Sales policies that are best suited to their needs. 

If you are considering a career as one or working in the field but looking for new opportunities, look at this stellar Inside Sales Assistant resume sample we compiled. 

See: All sales resume examples

Inside Sales Assistant Resume

(Free sample downloads are at the bottom of this page)

Inside Sales Assistant Resume Writing Guide

Resume Sections

  1. Contact information
  2. Profile Summary
  3. Work History 
  4. Achievements
  5. Education 
  6. Skill Section
  7. Certification & Licensing
  8. Extras: Languages/Awards/Publications/Volunteering/hobbies

What to Highlight in an Inside Sales Assistant Resume 

Employers will look for Inside Sales Assistants who can demonstrate their ability to sell and communicate effectively. Candidates showing excellent interpersonal skills, attention to detail, stellar telephone etiquette, and realize the importance of customer service will be highly favored.

Regardless of your Sales Industry experience, there are a few vital topics that employers and recruiters would expect to read in your resume. 

The first step is to provide context because many different products or solutions are available to agents to sell. Millions of companies operate in the sales environment, selling every imaginable product, service, and solution to customers and users. 

It will benefit your application if you can specify the product type or service offering you have experience in. Use the BLS sic codes as guidelines to correctly identify your industry.

Next up is detailing some of the targets and goals you have to achieve in your current position. Be specific and make sure to explain these in numeric terms. For instance, list the number of phone calls to clients you have to make in a month. The best way is to be number specific and provide actual data, for example, 50 million in the third quarter with an average sales value per rep at $320 000.

Remember you should mention the average turnover of the company you work for as an added extra punchline. Significant numbers will add some extra punch to your resume. 

Then, explain how you deal with clients' analyses and how you go about determining the most appropriate solution or product for them. Hiring managers will be critical in your efficiency to help your clients find the best solutions for them, and hence relationship building with them is part of the packaged deal. 

Showcase the part of your job seeking new clients and networking to find new customers. Hiring managers would love to read about your strategic planning abilities in landing new clients. 

Lastly, but also essential to your profession is continued education and training. It would be best if you highlighted that you realize how important it is to stay at the top of your game and in your field by constant training and keeping in touch with new products, changes, rules, markets, and regulations. 


Career Objective & Summaries

Often the experience sections of Inside Sales Assistant resumes can contain a large amount of detail and information. You, therefore, need to focus on describing your most important skills and your abilities here in the career summary/career objective 

Summaries/Objectives or profiles are short paragraphs you use to elaborate more about yourself, and you can therefore include years of experience and highlight some of your skills and traits. By naming the position you prefer and desire, you can add a personal touch.

Also, don't forget to mention your current job title and years of experience in the field. Give the readers of your resume a better sense of yourself by adding some of your hobbies or interests in this section. 

A few further tips:

  • Try to include one data-based fact about your previous performance as an assistant. 
  • In this section, you can also describe any management position aspirations you might have and also mention a specific job title or titles you might be interested in achieving in the future.
  • It is also the place where you can brag a bit about yourself and mention industry-related awards or recognitions earned, but keep in mind it needs to be relevant to the position or job opening. 
  • Cut to the chase in this section with a synopsis of your career of between 3 to 6 concise sentences. 
  • Get personal by describing yourself to hiring managers and potential employers and a glimpse of what you do. 
  • Focus on what the job advertisement requires from possible candidates to ensure you fit the profile.

Summary or Objective?

You may use either a Career Objective or a Career Summary to place at the top of your resume. 

Highlight this paragraph in a different font for maximum impact. 

A career summary is most suited when you have several years of experience under the belt. 

A career objective is often used by graduates, trainees, or candidates with less than five years of experience.

Examples

Summary Example 1
"Enthusiastic Inside Sales Assistant looking to secure a new position at an organization where I can use my skills, training, and knowledge. Excellent communication skills and ready for a challenging role and make a lasting contribution to its success."
Summary Example 2
"Self-driven and highly motivated sales assistant seeking a new position within the DER-organization, where I can use my strong customer service orientated approach and negotiation skills to the best. I have three years' experience in sales and a degree in business administration."
Summary Example 3
"Certified Inside Sales Assistant responsible for managing high revenue corporate accounts to ensure client satisfaction and maintain long-lasting business relationships. Analyzed account data to customize the interaction based on their customer profile. Resolved customer issues and escalations while maintaining a positive and professional attitude to ensure customer retention and increase win-back customers' rate."

Employment History

All Inside Sales Assistants communicate and work with people of all walks of life, including colleagues, the public, potential clients, and even family and friends. Your resume needs to tell a story of an individual who understands that working with people is essential, someone who has impressive communication skills, and a caring person who values relationships.

Be mindful that your experience section is the largest part of your resume. This role often takes precedence over educational accomplishments, making it a great area, and therefore, you can consider placing it near the top of your resume. 

List each role, starting with the most recent position, followed by the rest in chronological order. 

Give the name and the location of the company or store, followed by the employment dates for each and your job title. Take note that your dates, e.g., the months and years, are correct and not confusing. 

Aside from listing the necessary details, it would help if you briefly described the primary duties you held in each position.

If you're unable to account for every position's exact details, ensure, at least the three most recent roles contain most of the critical information.

A potential employer would also expect to read about your proven foundational duties and skillsets—glance over our list below of possible tasks and responsibilities of Inside Sales Assistants. 

Be sure to add employment history for the last ten years in reverse chronological format, indicating dates of employment, job title, and company names. Below we have provided an example for you.

Examples

Senior Inside Sales Assistant at M3 Capital

(Feb 2015 – Dec 2023)

Responsible for utilizing the knowledge with selling skills to identify opportunities, overcome objections, and build relationships within the ITC division of the company with a clientbase of 300 SME’s

  • Developed a successful telemarketing program that targeted vital decision-makers in purchasing. 
  • Due to the lack of marketing support created, I helped in creating marketing and sales support tools.
  • Worked independently as well as assisting outside sales staff

Inside Sales Assistant at Deutche Bank

(Feb 2010 – Jan 2015)

Tasked with providing expert assistance to sales staff by handling overflow from walk-in clients, mainiting current business after-sales service and cross selling to different customer segments from other product offerings.

  • Diligent in providing accurate and competitive quotes to current and prospective clients
  • Managed customer inquiries and helping to improve customer satisfaction
  • Assessed customer's needs and then communicate information about relevant products and programs. 

Job Descriptions Examples

Examine the list and choose the ones that best describe you, and feel free to customize and add where you can. 

An Inside Sales Assistant in Manufacturing may:

  • Identified key decision-makers using company sales objectives to qualify each prospect generated
  • Consistently scheduled quality web-based demonstrations for senior-level sales representatives while concurrently learning how to conduct web-based demonstrations for prospective clients.
  • Utilize the knowledge with selling skills to identify opportunities, overcome objections, and build relationships
  • Develop and implement new company processes to ensure quality results and safety.
  • Provide expert knowledge to the customer to safely complete each project on time and with budget
  • Answered a high volume of inbound sales inquiries for residential and commercial accounts
  • Assessed customers' needs and then communicate information about relevant products and programs. 
  • Meticulous in the recording of all customer information, as well as information about calls and sales outcomes
  • Able to build excellent rapport with clients over the phone
  • Manage customer complaints in a professional manner
  • Excellent in navigating the sales cycle from beginning to end
  • Good at reading and understanding signals from potential customers
  • Excellent record in closing sales

But if you do not have formal sales experience. Then focus on relatable expertise, for example:

A marketing background can help you with sales and pitches to clients. If you had a stunt in public relations, your communication and negotiation skills would come in handy. 

So think outside the box and see where duties you performed in other industries and jobs might benefit those required for the position you have your eye set on landing.

Accomplishments 

Stay clear from copying your list of duties as detailed in your job description. You have to write about what sets you apart from all the other applicants and what you are most proud of. 

Focus on what you have accomplished in your previous roles and write action-packed statements to get hiring managers' attention. 

Quantifying your resume

You are on the right track if you can answer the “How?”, “How many?”, “and “How many” questions about your accomplishments. 

Write about your achievements and accolades in measurable terms using numbers and numerical proof to highlight your competencies; this is an excellent trick to give your resume more color and substance. By doing this, you will provide a clear indication of your productivity and success rate. 

First, examples of flat, dull statements that won't spark the interest of the reader:

  • Performed many cold calls that resulted in new qualified prospects exceeding the group's average and adding to the new business pipeline.
  • Managed a pipeline of exceeding a bar that supported the increased sales of new accounts.
  • Excelled at new business development

Consider an example where quantification was added:

  • Performed 80 – 100 daily cold calls
  • Exceeding the weekly cold call average by 4% 
  • Consistently adding between 12% to 15%d to the new business pipeline.

Education Section

The education section is necessary, and you should focus on a list that showcases relevant-to-the-industry qualifications, certifications, and licensing. 

Treat your education section much the same as you did with your experience section. 

A few tips:

  • Start by giving the name of the most recently acquired degree, diploma, and certificate you earned. 
  • List the schools' or institutions' names followed by attendance dates and successful completion or graduation date. 
  • If you feel it's applicable, you can include your GPA-score. 
  • Additionally, you can list awards or recognition you earned during your school years, mainly if you reflect some of the skills needed and required for the position. 
  • Because state Sales boards require all agents to complete continuing education and training courses, make sure you highlight yours in this section. 
  • Display your credentials by date completed, name of institution, qualification, and course curriculums. Also, include relevant licenses and industry memberships.

Some examples

2018 – Current Masters of Science in Marketing, Florida University, Orlando, FL

Relevant Coursework: Sales Management, CRM Platforms, Lead Facilitation, Professional Selling, Sales Management, 

2014 – 2016 Bachelor of Science in Retail and Sales Management, Arlington University, Reston, VA

2013 – Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP), National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP), Online

2012 – Certified Inside Sales Professional (CISP) from the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals (AA-ISP), Online

2011 – Certified Sales Leadership Professional (CSLP) from the Sales Management Association (SMA), Online

Skills

Employers will be on the lookout for specific soft skills to indicate whether you are fit for the role they need to fill. 

There are also technical skills needed, but soft skills are sought after in this industry.  Hiring managers are often looking for sales assistants with a particular set and combination of skills. Some of the most critical skills for this role include:

  • Oral and written communication
  • Customer service
  • Up-selling
  • Merchandising
  • Basic mathematics

Think carefully about your list of unique strengths and skills that can be listed in your resume and those that will help exhibit your best attributes. Once again, if you can dot down numbers and quantifiable data, do so.

Be strategic in placing your skills section; the right spot is just before the experience part of your resume and relatively at the top of the document. 

You can add to your credibility by writing short descriptions of how you use each skill in your day-to-day work. 

Soft Skills

CommunicationAdministrative Management skillsTime-managementMulti-Tasking
AnalyticalReliableVerbal communication
InitiativeLeadershipEnthusiasm
IntegritySelf-ControlRealistic
Attention to DetailEmpathyNegotiation
Decision MakingExcellent listening skillsPersuasion
PatiencePositive attitudeProblem solver

Hard Skills

  • Close deals
  • Generate leads
  • Follow up on leads
  • Cold calling
  • Closing deals
  • Maintaining Profitable results
  • Excellent Relationships building skills
  • Product knowledge
  • Negotiation skills
  • Contract management

Qualifications/Certifications associated with Inside Sales Assistants

American Association of Inside Sales Professions (AA-ISP)Bachelor Degree in Sales and Marketing,High School Diploma
The National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP)Certified Sales Professional (CSP),PipeDrive
The Sales Association (SA)CNPR Certification — Pharmaceutical Sales Training ProgramSalesForce

Optional Extras for Inside Sales Assistant Resumes

Your resume should also reflect your personality and give insight into the person you are outside of the working environment. 

Recruiters often use this section to determine whether you would fit into the company culture. 

If you have lots of experience, perhaps add a list of your most prestigious memberships:

  • Sales Management Association (SMA)
  • American Management Association (AMA)
  • National Association of Pharmaceutical Sales Reps (NAPSR)

A little thin on experience? Beef up your resume with “other” sections that share your depth and passion.

  • Volunteering Work
  • Sports and Recreational Activities
  • Extra-Mural Activities during University life
  • Added education and training not related to Sales 
  • Awards and Accolades
  • Leadership Roles

Professional information of Inside Sales Assistants

Sectors: Sales, Accounts Management, Client Relations, Business Development, Client Relations
Career Type: Sales, Customer Service, Marketing, Client Relations, Business Development, Account Management
Person type:  Sales, Marketer, Advisor, Supporter, Facilitator, Administrator, New Business Developer, Account Manager, Customer Service
Education levels: Bachelor's Degree or Post School Certifications
Salary indication: Average Base Pay $44 097 per year (Glassdoor)
Labor market: Estimated 2% growth between 2019 and 2029 (BLS)
Organizations: Various

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